Pattern of Betrayal (Vineyard Quilt Mysteries Book 2) Read Online Free

on the safe side.
    “No, silly,” Joyce said. “Scarlett Jones.”
    Julie blinked. “Who’s Scarlett Jones?”
    “A good friend of ours,” Sadie said with an impatient sigh. Then she took a long sip of wine, as if Julie should’ve known which Scarlett they were referring to.
    Julie could only smile in response.
    The two women bustled off to comment on Susan’s dress, their petticoats rustling as they moved. Like Gregory, Susan had gone all out, wearing long white gloves and a sparkling bracelet glittering around one wrist. She looked cool and sophisticated in emerald green.
    “There you are!” Shirley exclaimed as tiny Carrie Windsor entered the room, a timid expression on her face. Wrapped in a pastel pink sateen dress with big puffy sleeves, a heart-shaped bodice, and a drop waist, Carrie looked like she was headed for her high school prom … in 1987. Her glasses still dominated her face, though she had managed to secure all of her hair in some sort of French twist. She looked wholly uncomfortable as Shirley dove in for a hug.
    Inga Mehl, the inn’s housekeeper, marched into the room wearing her usual frown and drab gray dress. She was something of a fixture at the inn, having worked there for many years. No-nonsense, highly efficient, and stealthy, Inga still carried a slight accent from her native Germany and insisted on wearing the staid gray uniform of a traditional domestic while at work, even though Millie didn’t require it. Though she was a part of the murder mystery, she’d refused to wear a costume, forcing Shirley to rewrite her part so that she could “play” the part of a housekeeper.
    And then there was Alice, the spitting image of a prairie woman from the late 1800s. Her dress was high-necked, long-sleeved, and made from a pale yellow calico. Although her costume was sorely out of date, she blended right in with the rest of the diverse group. It wasn’t exactly how Julie had pictured the party, but it was the spirit of the thing that mattered.
    Julie stood at the head of the dinner table and clinked a spoon against her wine glass. “Good evening, everyone,”she said as the chatter died down. “As you all know, tonight someone will be murdered.” She paused for drama, looking at each guest in turn.
    “Until then,” Julie continued, “enjoy your meal and get to know one another. And stay in character as much as possible. This is a chance to just have fun being someone else for a couple of days.”
    “Here, here!” Susan shouted.
    Everyone raised their glasses in a toast.
    Julie sat back in her seat as Hannah emerged from the kitchen with a rolling cart of food and numerous bread baskets. Everyone got the same meal, which was plated in the kitchen and served efficiently with Inga’s help.
    Soon, all that could be heard was the clanking of silverware and the murmur of conversation as the guests warmed up to playing their parts in the mystery.
    “Good idea to have dinner first,” Daniel said, leaning close to Julie.
    She nodded. “This way everyone will have time to get used to their characters before the mystery actually begins.”
    Daniel smiled and gave her a wink. “No, because I’m starving.”
    She shot him an exasperated look. He merely widened his smile and then took a bite of his bread.
    It really was a shame he was so handsome. Maybe in another life, at another time, she could have fallen for him. But right now? She was a little tied up, hiding out from international art thieves. She and Hannah had come to Straussberg for one purpose and one purpose only: to save their bacon. Yet, somehow in the process, she had gotten entrenched in being Julie Ellis, a humble inn manager. And she actually rather enjoyed it.
    Daniel caught her eye again and pointed to his watch.
    She knew what he was silently asking, How long until it’s time to start the show? Julie glanced at the large grandfather clock on the other side of the room. It was seven fifteen. Shortly before eight, the